Fuel economizer for internal combustion engines



Nov, 10, 1931. J. ALLEAS I 1,330,867

FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FiledMay 31, 1929 .5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Jecm aliens by W2 aflo'r'ney NOV- 10, 1931. ALLEAS 1,830,867

FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 51, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q: g m a;

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Ifivenior Jean (llleas by W Z.

(Iiiorney I Nov. 10, 1931.. J. ALLEAS 1,830,867

FUEL ECQNQM'IZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fig. 5

Inventor Jean (Uleas y (liiorney manufacture and sale.

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JEAN ALLEAS, OF. EAST'BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS FUEL ECONOMIZER FOB INTIZEBNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to the art of fuel conservation, and to that class or those classes of devices used in connection with internal combustion engines generally, and more particularly in connection with internal combustion engines of motor vehicles, to effect economies in the costs of operation of engines of this character. Such devices may properly be termed, and are herein so termed fueleconomizers for internal combustion engines, thus differentiating and distinguishing them from devices designed and constructed to effecteconomies in the costs of operation of engines utilizing fuels in manners other than by internal combustion.

The principal object of this invention is to secure by its use conservation of fuel in the practical operation of internal combustion engines to an extent reater than has been realized heretofore. Knother object of this invention is to secure by its use conservation of fuel in the practical operationof internal combustion engines of motor vehicles under a characteristic condition of use, i. e., during the descents of hills, to an extent greater than has been realized heretofore.

Another object of this invention is the realization of these preceding objects by the employment of means of simplicity of design and construction and of inexpensiveness of Another object of this invention is the realization of these preceding objects without the introduction, concomitantly, of any disadvantages in opera.- tion of internal combustion engines. That other desirable results less readily definable are realized by the use of thisinvention is demonstrated by thefact that the operation of internal combustion engines under variable load is more uniform when this invention is concomitantly used than when it is not used.

In order that the advantages resulting from the use of this invention may be fully appreciated, it seems desirable that brief consideration be given'at this point to the operation. of an internal combustion "engine unequipped with this invention. Brief consideration will be given subsequently to the operation of an internal combustion engine 1929. semu No. 367,216.

equipped with this invention, and the ef fects of its use will be described in detail.

In the operation of the ordinary type of internal combustion engine, atmospheric air at ordinary temperatures is sucked into and through the carburetor, due to the'creation by the action of the pistonheads in the cylinders, of a partial vacuum in the gaseous fuel passage connecting the carburetor with the gaseous fuel manifold. While: in pass sage through the carburetor, the air becomes ladened-with a'mist of liquid fuel'by' the aspiration of the liquid fuel through and from the foramens or foraminous structure of the carburetor into the air. This mist of liquid fuel is for the most part transformed by'rapid evaporation into the gaseous state. This mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, nowpasses into and through the gaseous fuel passage, frequently termed the throttle pipe, and then into the gaseous fuel manifold, frequently termed the combustion mixture manifold. From the gaseous fuel manifold, this mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, passes through valves into the cylinders wherein it is compressed and fired, and. the products of combustion are then discharged through the exhaust valves and the exhaust pipe into the atmosphere.

Most carburetors function by supplying'a stream of liquid fuel under a substantially constant-head through a foramen or foramens or foraminous structure to acurrent of air whose rate of flow is determined by the' side of the air inlet of the carburetor. The size of the air inlet of the carburetor is variable, and is controlled by means actuated by the throttle lever and the accelerator pedal.

The size or sizes of the foramen or foramens ioo fuel at a rate just sufficient to maintain the internal combustion engine idling, i. e., operating under no load except its own frictional load, when the rate at which the mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, being supplied to the cylinders of the combustion'engine is the minimum rate,-i. e., when theair inlet of the carburetor is of the minimum opening and the throttle lever is at its lowest position. The composition of the mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, which will be supplied to the cylinders of the internal combustion engine under all conditions of operation and at all rates ofspeed, is determined then, in a general way, by the initial adjustment of the rate of flow of liquid fuel to the carburetor. There is one way whereby successful operation of the internal combustion engineupon a lesser rate of flow of liquid fuel to the'carburetor can be realized, and fuel thereby conserved. The preheating of air by the internal combustion engine exhaust before it is admitted tothe carburetor, results in'the elevation of the working temperature of the carburetor, insures more complete evaporation of the liquidfuel, and does permit the utilization of a finer adjustment of the rate of flow of liquid fuel to the carburetor. Butthis method of conserving fuel is eifective only after the internal combustion engine has been in operation for a time suflicient for the generation of the heat required for the preheating of the air to have occurred. and difficulties are encountered inattempting to start a cold internal combustion engine upon a mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, of such a composition.

It has been found that the admission of air or other gas at ordinaryor elevated temperatures into the gaseous fuel passage or into the gaseous fuel manifold of an-internal combustion engine at any point or points subsequent to the carburetor is greatly effective in decreasing the rate of consumption of liquid fuel during-its operation. While no attempt at a theoretical explanation of this phenomenon can be offered, it seems rob able that under such conditions, the air or other gas acts as adiluent of the original mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, delivered by the carburetor, and materially aids in the evaporation of the remaining liquid fuel in the state of fine division.

' The operation of internal combustion engines utilizing the diluted fuel mixtures formed as describedin the preceding paragraph has been found to be very satisfactory, particularly at the higher speed By suitable means of regulation of the rate of admission of air or other gas at ordinary or elevated temperatures admittedinto the gaseous fuel passage or into thegaseousfuel manifold of an internal combustion engine, themost' economical gaseous fuel mixture for composition of the mixture of air and fuel,

liquid and gaseous, as delivered by the carburetor, to a content in fuel of substantially zero.

Inmost- States, if not in all, it is an unlawful act for anyone to coast a motor vehiclev down a hill, i. e., for anyone to allow amotor vehicle to travel down a hill with ears uni meshedor the clutch out. But when a motor vehicle travels down a. hill with the gears meshed and the clutch engaged, the internal combustion engine is compelled to operate,

i. e., to turn over, even though it may not only be generating no power, but may even be exerting some braking action upon the motor vehicle. Under such conditions, the internal combustion. engine may be saidto be working under a negative load. Though the throttle lever be set at its lowest point, and the ignition be switched off, a mixture of air and fuel, liquid and gaseous, will be delivered tothe cylinders of the internal combustion engine, will be discharged through the exhaust Valves and exhaust pipe, and will thereby be wasted. Such a waste of fuel can be completely prevented only by either disconnecting the carburetor from the gaseous fuel passage, or by disconnecting the liquid fuel line from the carburetor. Such a Waste of fuel can be substantially prevented by the use of the present invention.

For the purpose of conserving fuel in the peration of internal combustion enginesunder steady, variable, or negative loads, one of the many possible forms of this invention, as

applied to an internal combustion engine for motor vehicles is'here offered and described in detail upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1,1, of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2, '2, of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detailed view in perspective, of those parts of the invention which serve to govern the amount of air or other gas at ordinary or elevated temperatures admitted into thegaseous fuel passage or into the gaseous fuel manifold of the internal combustion engine, while V Figure 4cis a'detailed vertical view of the invention as a whole, showing the means of actuation of the controlling device illustratwas ed in the threepreceding figures, means of preheating air, and a portion of the internal combustion-engine, and Figure is a schematic vertical view of an. automobile chassis showing the invention'directly connected to the gaseous fuel passage of theinternal combustion engine at a point intermediate the gaseous fuel manifold and the carburetor, and showing also the means of actuation of ym the invention directly connected to the means of actuation of the carburetor.

- Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the five figures.

:1 2, turning freely in simple bearings in the 'valve body 10, constitutes with the valve body 10, a butterfly valve ensemble. This butterfly valve is actuated by the butterfly valve lever 9, attached to the stem 2, and the butter- 1 fly valve actuating rod 24, provided at its up.- per end withnotches which engage with the catch-.27 set into the dashboard 26, of the motor vehicle. Integral with the butterfly valve lever 9 is the butterfly valve lever adg5 justing arm '14 provided with an adjusting screw 13, which in coaction. with the valve body stop 12 serves to determine the maximum extent to which the butterfly valve can be opened. This portion of the invention may be termed the coasting valve and consists broadly of a means of coarse regulation of the rate ofv admission of air or other gas at ordinary or elevated temperatures-into the gaseous fuel passage or into the gaseousfuel manifold of'the internal combustion engine,

together with a means of its actuation.

The butterfly valve body 10 is provided with a bypass'3, through which the rate of passage of'air or other gas at ordinary or elevated temperatures is controlled by the bypass valve plug 4, provided with a bypass valve passage 15. The bypass valve plug 4, slightly tapering in form is retained snugly in its seat by the bypass valve washer 16 and locknut 17. The bypass valveplug 4 is actuated by the bypass valve plug lever 5, which in turn is actuated by the accelerator pedal 34, acting through the bypass'valve plug actuating rod 28, and the semi-rigid connection, composed of the stop 29 upon the bypass valve plug actuating rod, 28, the spring 30, the adj usted locknut 31, and the link 32, rigidly attached to the accelerator adjusting rod 33, but sliding freely upon the bypass valve plug actuating rod 28. The operation of the .by-

passvalve plug actuating rod spring30, and

the? accelerator pedal retaining spring .35,

which reacts uponthe motor vehicle floor board 36, serves to maintain the bypass valve closed when the accelerator pedal' 34, is not in use. Integral with the bypass valve'lever 5, is the bypass' valve lever adjusting arm, 7,

provided with an adjusting screw 8, which inf coaction with the valve body acting at '6 as a stop,"serves to determine the maximum fine regulation of the rate of admission of air or other'gas at ordinary or elevated temperatures into the gaseous fuel passage or into the gaseous fuel manifold of the internal combustion engine, together with a means of its actuation, which is a function of the movement of the accelerator pedal, and hence at the rate at which air is admitted into the carburetor. The circular disc l,mounted upon the stem 1 p This controlling device consisting of the valves and their means of actuation, is connected at the exit orifice of the valve body to a nipple 19, venting into the gaseous fuel passage of the internal combustion engine at a point subsequent'to the carburetor, and in this case, into the throttle pipe 18, which serves as the gaseous fuel passage connecting the carburetor with the gaseous fuel manifold. The entrance orifice of the valve body is provided with an intake pipe connected with the air intake heater pipe 21, which surrounds the exhaust pipe22, and which is supported thereupon, and spaced therefrom by the supporting lugs 23, forming thereby a manifold for preheating the air taken into the intake pipe 20.

- The operation of this form of the'invention under varlous conditions of use is as follows:

During travel upon substantially level roads of the motor vehicle, the coasting valve remains fixed: either closed or partly opened, WVhen the accelerator'pedal 34 is undepressed, as when the engine is idling, the bypass valve is just closed. The adjusting nut 31'is turned up until it makes contact with the'link 32. The spring 30 is now compressed between stop 29 and-link 32. Upon depressing the accelerator pedal 34:, force is applied through the spring 30, the stop 29,

and the rod 28 to the lever 5, the bypass valve 1 is thereby opened, and air is permitted to pass through the stove 21,22, 23, the air intake "pipe 20, the bypass valve 3, 15, and connecting nipple 19, into the gaseous fuel passage 18. When the bypass valve has been i opened as far as is permitted by the coaction of the adjusting screw and the stop 8, 6, further depression of the accelerator pedal 34 serves only to compress the spring 30.

During the descent of a hill by the motor 1 vehicle, when otherwise the passage of air through the carburetor would entrain fuel, and therebywaste it, use for the coasting valve is indicated. This valve is then opened to its fullest extent by the use of the butterfly valve actuating rod 24', worked at the motor vehicle dash board 26 by the operator of the motor vehicle. By far the greater'portion of 'air'or other gas drawn into the'gaseous fuel passage and through the cylinders of the inline of the nature and mode of" operation of stationary internal combustion engines.

thisinvention, together'with the accompanymg drawings constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is'to be understood that this invention may be variously .embodied with reference both to internal combustion engines of motor vehicles, and 50 t is therefore to be limited only as it is claimed. Several of the points of this invention as embodied otherwise than in the mode in which they are here embodied may be considered. The entrance or admission of air or other gas into the gaseous fuel passage need not be effected at the throttle pipe, but may be effected at any point or points subse quent to the carburetor. Thevalve ensemble may be replaced by separate valves andScparateintake pipes andpreheaters. The valves may be of such types as will permit the fine and coarse regulation of the rate of admission of air or other gas at ordinary or elevated-temperatures into the gaseous fuel passage or into the gaseous fuel manifold. The actuationof the means of coarseregulation may be automatic, instead of manual, and in dependent means, as for example by the use of a pendulum regulator, or by the coaction of a governor operated by the engine and a trip lever functioning during the non-use of the accelerator pedal. The preheating of the air admitted into the gaseous fuelpassage. or into the gaseous fuel manifold may be accomplished by any mode of preheating in which the heat consumed therein was produced directly or indirectly by the internal combustion engine. 'The gas admitted into the gaseous fuel passage or into the gaseous fuel manifold need not be air, but may be exhaust gas taken directly from the exhaust pipe. The semi-rigid connection of the bypass valve with the accelerator pedal may be replaced by any other semi-rigid type of connection functioning similarly.

tion of a valve means of coarse regulation;

actuated manually and of .a valve means of fine regulation. actuated by the carburetor pedal through semi-rigid connection therewith permitting and controlling the bypassing of the preheated air around and valve means of coarse regulation.

3. In combination with an internal com b-ustion engine having a carburetorand an intake manifold, an auxiliary inlet passage for supplying preheated air to the said mani fold above the carburetor, and a plurality of independent means for regulating the said preheated air supply consistingof the combination en bloc of a valve means of coarse regulation actuated manually and of a valve means of fine regulation actuated by the carburetor pedal through semi-rigid connection therewith permitting and controlling the bypass- 'ing of the preheated air around and past the valve means of coarse regulation.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and an intake manifold, an auxiliary inlet passage for supplying preheated air to the said manifold above the carburetor, and a plurality of independent means for regulating the said preheated air supply consisting of the combination en bloc'of abutterfly valve actuated manually and of a bypass valve actuated by the carburetor pedal through semi-rigid con"- nection therewith permitting and controlling sensitively the bypassing of the preheated air around and past the butterfly valve.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and an intake manifold, an auxiliary inlet'passage for sup plying preheated air to the said manifold above the carburetor, and a plurality of" independent means for regulating the said pre heated air supply consisting of the combination en bloc of a butterfly valve actuated manp'ast the ually and of a ground key cock actuated by above the carburetor, a plurality of independent means for regulating the said preeated air supply consisting of the combination en bloc of a butterfly valve actuated manually and of a ground key cock actuated by the carburetor pedal through semi-rigid connection therewith permitting and con trolling sensitively the bypassing of the preheated air around and past the butterfly valve, a preheating stove of which the exhaust pipe constitutes the heating element, and an intake pipe connecting the said preheating stove with the said plurality of independent means for regulating the said preheated air supply.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JEAN ALLEAS. 

